2012-12-29 - Hell Hath No Fury: I Don't Hit Girls
Arsenal was paroling Star City, while Green Arrow was busy with a special fundraiser project. He was patrolling with Speedy, when the two came upon a bank robbery of quite a few men in armor. The two look grimly at each other, at least until they grin like maniacs and soon leap into action! It is chaos, yet the two Arrow Family members move with grace and acrobatic prowess that would make Nightwing proud. There is a flying of flash grenades, stun grenades, smog-alerts to deafen, and tear gas. It looks like this would be a dangerous, but easy success for the Arrows... ...at least until one armored man they did not account for comes up behind Arsenal and he goes down. When everything is cleared up, three armored men are down and Speedy is alone in a panic, wondering if the squealing wheels were the answer. She takes off running, heading to the roof tops, to see the van. To far..., but she shoots an arrow with a tracker. She then does the practical thing...she calls for backup. The Titans communicator beeps, and when answers, Speedy's voice is stern and professional, "I need backup. Arsenal has been nabbed, I have a tracker on the van, and some goons to wake up and question." She heads back to the scene, providing the address of the bank, wanting to start her questioning before the cops arrive. In the meantime, Arsenal's vision is spotty in the van as he struggles to come too. He notices a bag over his head, and someone taking away his many, many, many countless weapons and accessories. He is /pissed/, and he is going to badly hurt someone...as soon as he stops the urge to through up in his head bag... Vanguard was working out in the Titan gym, it was one of the areas that he had access to as a probationary member of the Titans. When his communicator goes off, he answers it and listens to Speedy's report about Arsenal's kidnapping. To his credit, the first thing that went through his head was that he had to find his team leader as soon as possible. Clad in his costume, he rockets across the bay to Star City, using the GPS on his palm pilot along with the address provided to find the bank. He lands with a thud next to Speedy. "Hey, I'm Vanguard. If you give me the tracking unit, I can probably still catch the van." He wastes no time getting down to business. Speedy stares at Vanguard for a few moments, knowing Arsenal acts funny about him, but beggars can't be choosey. "Sure, it seems these guys are just one of many units of a new group that moved to Star City." She pulls a small device from a pouch beneath her cloak and holds it out to Vanguard. "All I got was a 'she' for their leader." A dramatic pause at that then, "He has a bad track record with bad girls, get him out of there before he does something stupid." The faith in her 'big brother' is so sweet, isn't it? Then again, Dedrick doesn't really know about Cheshire yet does he? In the meantime...the Van is pulling into a warehouse, and the arrow in the roof is messed as they start unloading their cargo. The money is taken to a safe beneath the floor, while Arsenal is taken to a higher floor to the 'leader'. He is dropped off, trussed up almost as bad as a turkey for Thanksgiving! Arsenal groans when the hood is removed from his head, and a very wicked smiling woman looks down at him, Asian in appearance. It isn't Cheshire, but it is someone Arsenal recognizes as his eyes widen, "Shit," word slightly slurred. Vanguard does not know about Cheshire, hell, he can't even look at his daughter without Arsenal getting bent out of shape. He takes the device and nods once. "Don't worry. Whatever he may be, he's a professional. But I promise to bring him back." He doesn't waste any time as he launches himself into the air and takes a look at the device and then accelerates in the direction it indicates. He murmurs under his breath. "Hang on, Roy." He moves pretty fast..they couldn't have gotten far. The power armor these guys wear aren't too impressive, but they are enough to give them enhanced durability, and enhanced strength. They also carry heavy-duty guns. They work to keep out of view about the warehouse, but they are positioned about the warehouse as well as within it and on the roof with false covers in place above them on the roof. Speedy is still trying to get who the leader is from the armored men, and stalling the cops from taking them. Speedy can be one intimidating little girl, with a street edge. Arsenal on the other hand, has been kicked in the ribs, grunting and leaning over somewhat. The vehemence and violence coming from the short, Asian woman is dark and dangerous. Arsenal just gets a dark expression in his eyes, an equally dangerous one, one promising revenge. His mouth is pressed in a thin line, as he lets her rant, ignoring the pounding of his skull while he works at the ropes and to free some a needle-like dagger slipped down one glove. Vanguard was not genetically blessed with any kind of enhanced vision or super senses, so he had no way to pinpoint Arsenal's location. He knew he was in the building below him, and that the building was guarded by goons in what looked like power armor. He releases a breath and then dives towards the roof of the building. The fists held out in front of him begin to glow a bright white and he would release a few bolts from his hands before impacting the roof at high speed. Hopefully the commotion would disorient the goons enough for him to find Arsenal. The goons are actually alert, and there are a few pot shots at you, but it does not get hairy till you have landed. Vanguard crashes through the roof, sending splinters flying! He goes down to the top floor, cracking the floor beneath him. Course, Arsenal is still down one more floor and over a ways, but there are armored guys moving to crash through the roof with you and start to pick an issue with Vanguard! They actually have energy weapons, and one aims it right at Vanguard, pulling the trigger. In the meantime, the room Arsenal is in suddenly erupts in violence and action! But little is heard outside of it considering the noise and chaos that Vanguard is causing right now. Vanguard usually reserves his force blasts for special moments because unlike his strength, he has no way of regulating the intensity of them. But when they all come down on him at once, he points his hands at the floor and fires into it, causing him to fall through to the next level. A bolt of energy sears his left shoulder, tearing the reinforced fabric of his costume and the man under the mask hisses loudly. He picks up a random piece of debris and hurls it at the first person he sees in armor. Luckily, Speedy's evaluation of the armor quality was correct, it isn't top line. The guy that catches the armor chest first gets knocked back hard, and one likely doesn't want to see the dent in his head after he impacted a wall without the helmet he should be wearing. But he's likely breathing, right? Another guy in armor leaps down as well, moving to actually power punch Vanguard! "Bad call hero!" Great, now they are talking smack to you! Vanguard tenses up to take the punch by the guy and he skids back a couple feet from the impact. Vanguard chuckles. "Not the reaction you were hoping for, eh? It'll take a lot more than that to topple me!" He shoots out a fist, aiming at the man's gut, attempting to uppercut him. He's still looking around for Arsenal, though. "Arsenal, where the hell are you!?" As you yell for Arsenal, the man in question, glances toward the doorway before claws lash out at his face! He jumps back, "As bad as Jade," he scowls. "You know, I really don't hit girls," and Arsenal kicks over a table, and as he lands and the woman charges, he actually picks up the table and slams it hard into her side first! The woman doubles over, crumpling to the ground. "Good thing you aren't a real /girl/, more like a bitch." He glances around for his gear, which is sorely lacking in this room. That means...likely downstairs. He moves toward the door to open it, finding it locked. With a dramatic sigh, he goes to unlock the door before opening it. Alright, so Arsenal has his moments! In the meantime, while Arsenal is cat fighting, Vanguard is soon surrounded by three armored guys, two coming up from below, and one more peering from overhead. The one above has a gun, taking aim, while the other two are holding guns, but appear to be charging with battle cries! Least these lower two are wearing helmets this time. Vanguard glances up. He could fire a force blast at the guy with the gun before he gets a shot off, but force trauma would likely kill him. That wasn't an option. He hovers in midair and glides backwards, striking out at a section of the wall so that it would likely crumble down towards the two coming up for him. Receiving no answer, smart-assed or otherwise from Arsenal, Vanguard assumes that he is either busy on his own, or unable to answer him at all. He hoped it was the former. "Arsenal, if you're not dead, I swear I'm going to kill you." He murmurs to himself as he begins to punch random walls, attempting to bring the building down around him. It wouldn't hurt him, but hopefully the guys in the armor would get the hint and get out. There is a scream from the guy above as he is suddenly tumbling down, and the roof caves on the other two, what is left over it, causing the above roof to also cave! It is certainly heavy enough, that they are thankful for the armor, but not really getting out without assistance. In the meantime? Two others are heading for the wall to the boss's room. The wall explodes inward just as Arsenal opens the door. He ducks into the hallway as one of the armored guys goes to grab their boss. But as Arsenal looks out down the hallway he seems movement and then suddenly...a caving of the ceiling..., "FUCK!" Arsenal darts back into the room as the floor starts to give way and the cieling above him starts to sag. He leaps at armored guy that is not holding the boss, and hangs onto his armor for dear life as he flies off! He growls beneath his breath, "Bull in a china shop," as the armor guy tries to shake him off and he lets out a loud sound of surprise! "Whoa there horsey!" Sometimes his daughter is a bad influence on him. Vanguard didn't intend to bring down the entire building. He flies frantically in the direction the goons went in search of their boss. When he catches sight of Arsenal on the back of a guy in armor, he takes on after him. "Hang on, man. If you have to jump, do it. I'll totally catch you!" Good thing Arsenal can't see the smile under his mask. "Like hell! You are here to kill me man!" Arsenal is tossed about, and he grunts, almost losing his grip! Well, he does with one hand, hanging by finger tips before the wearer brings a gun about to face him as he jet boots in the air. "Ride over Harper," the helmeted man says. "Cheshire gives her farewells." Arsenal actually pales, and he figures out he just has to trust Vanguard, so he uncurls his fingers and drops like a stone. His body twists in the air as if he can control his decent, the gun firing soon after he has released his grip on the armor. Vanguard dives when Arsenal falls. Dedrick might not like the guy much, but he did respect him. Catching him, he flips him over onto his back. "Okay, this might look awkward, but it'll be effective. I'll fly, you shoot. Hold on, because we're not letting him get away." And with that, he gives chase to the goon that just tried to shoot his team leader. "My stuff is in the van!" Arsenal looks pale and pissed off, like he could strangle that armored guy with his bare hands! He just might. "Shit!" He twists in your arms, not thinking anything of it as he just thinks to pull his pants leg high, finding...the leather strap there empty of a blade. He drops his pants leg and growls low from the back of his throat. "Damn her!" Actually with the roller coaster ride that Vanguard has seen Arsenal going through, it does not compare with the emotion he displays now. The anger, the pain, the frustration..., "Drop me off and get the bastards!" And it's like something is ripped from him to even say that, because he wants to go after them personally...it /is/ personal as Vanguard may have overheard the armored thug saying Arsenal's real surname. In the meantime, the two armored foes, one carrying their boss lady is getting further and further away toward the ocean. Vanguard takes the time to deposit Arsenal near the van before taking off again. He yells, "I'll get them for you, chief. I promise!" He accelerates in the direction that he saw them fly off in. Once he's high enough, he turns on the speed, attempting to catch up with them. He didn't know what he'd do once he caught them yet, but he knew he couldn't let Arsenal down. His reputation was on the line here. The building is far from safe to enter as the last floor separating the first floor with the van and the roof is sagging. Arsenal's mouth presses into a thin line real briefly before he says, "Just don't get your ass killed." There is something dark in his warning, as if he isn't kidding about this before he watches Vanguard fly away. He then darts into the dangerous building, to get to the van. Screw the stolen money, he wants his equipment! Up ahead, Vanguard can see the two flying armored individuals getting larger as he closes in. The woman they carry is in a traditional influenced Chinese dress, red in color. Her black hair flows in the wind, one hand dangling weakly over nothingness. Just as Vanguard starts to close in, he may catch out of the corner of his eye a missile launching right at him from the docks! The armored thugs ignore the missile, heading straight for a ship already pulling away from the docks. In either case, the missile is aimed straight for Vanguard! Vanguard is pretty durable, thanks to his dense muscles. But impact from a missile would hurt...a lot. He veers off course to dodge the missile, which gives the two in front of him the extra time they need to make a getaway. He curses under his breath, but still heads for the ship. Putting a fist in front of him, he fires a force blast towards the boat itself. They couldn't leave if the thing couldn't stay afloat! The damage to the ship is minimum, but the explosion that happens on a building behind Vanguard is not. The building which was about ten floors high starts to crumble and crash down. An office building...but what time is it?! Would people be at work?! Arsenal hurries out of the warehouse, the creaks it is making creeping him out! But as soon as he steps outside, he sees the explosion in the distance send dust and debris up within the air, the sound thundering. He starts to run for it even as he puts on his quiver and starts to strap down his guns and knives. And Vanguard is faced with a choice...honor his promise to Arsenal or protect innocent bystanders from the falling debris and see if anyone is inside that crushed building. Vanguard makes a snap decision. He didn't need to think about what he had to do. The goons would get away this day as he does a u-turn in midair and rockets back towards the building that just exploded. Pulling his phone from one of the pouches on his belt, he dials 911. He informs the operator of the situation and calls for help in case there are people in need of medical attention. Hopefully, Arsenal has his com unit. "Arsenal, they caused a building to blow up. I had to break off my pursuit in case there are civilians that need help. I've notified the authorities and they're sending help. I'm sorry, man. I had to let them go..this is more pressing." Arsenal is silent for a few, but there is heavy breathing, "Enough excuses, minimize damage. There will be a lot more dead before...this is over." He knows more than he is letting on right now from the sound of it. He then puts in a call to Speedy, and goes to pull Green Arrow from his special 'project'. He also puts in a call to the Titans again for emergency rescue. And...he prays to the spirits. Article: SC: 2012-12-30 - Terrorist Attack?